While the government boasts about the improvement in the quality of life in Malta, it is found lacking in supporting the vulnerable sectors of society.

In a statement, opposition MPs Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and Silvio Parnis said that the elderly in state care, especially, were struggling due to a lack of basic facilities.

This, they said, was taking place when the government itself was taking some 80 per cent of their pension, 60 per cent of bank interest they may accrue and 5.5 per cent of the value of any property they may have.

The two MPs said that during the June heat wave, various air-conditioning units at the St Vincent de Paule residence for the elderly were out of commission while others simply lacked the facilities. Families of some of the residents were bringing their own fans to be used in the wards, they said.

In addition, they said, residents of the home for the elderly in Mosta were complaining that a promise made by the government to furnish them with a small fridge in their rooms was not kept. In addition, there was no television reception apart from PBS.